Western Australia's plug-in solar plan puts renters' bills in focus
An advocate estimates hundreds of dollars in annual savings, but safety standards and apartment-building rules remain central to the proposed rollout.
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Western Australia set to lift ban on balcony solar in national first | ABC NEWS
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:15Douglas explains how plug-in solar panels and batteries connect to household power points to supply appliances.
- 1:07She estimates annual solar savings of A$300 to A$400, with roughly double that for battery units.
- 1:44Equipment costs A$800 to A$1,200, Douglas says, without requiring an electrician for installation.
- 2:22Germany provides her model for apartment rules; Solar Citizens wants Australian changes by July 1, 2027.
- 3:22Douglas says Australian-condition testing is underway and stresses the need for safety standards.
Renters and apartment residents in Western Australia could gain access to solar power without installing panels on a private roof. The state has begun consultation on a safety standard for plug-in solar panels and batteries, a step toward what would be Australia's first permitted rollout of the technology.
In an interview with Australia's Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Lee Douglas explains that the units connect directly to ordinary household power points, supplying electricity for appliances. Footage shows people mounting panels and plugging them in.
Douglas puts the equipment cost at about A$800 to A$1,200 and says the plug-in design would avoid the need for an electrician to install it. She estimates annual electricity-bill savings of several hundred Australian dollars for solar units, with roughly twice that saving from battery units.
The appeal, she says, is access for people excluded from rooftop solar: "It's really difficult in Australia for renters right now, because they're missing out on the savings of rooftop solar."
Permission to connect a unit is only part of the issue. The host also asks about landlords and the strata or body corporate rules that govern apartment buildings and shared property. Douglas points to Germany's regulations as a model and says Solar Citizens wants similar arrangements across Australia by July 1, 2027. That is the organization's proposed timetable, not an announced nationwide start date.
Western Australia's move is still a consultation, rather than an immediate authorization to plug in equipment. Douglas says testing for Australian conditions is underway and emphasizes the importance of safety standards, drawing on Germany's experience.
Australia's westernmost and largest state by land area.
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The numbers
The interview drew about 29,000 views since yesterday.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which country's apartment regulations does Douglas cite as a model for plug-in solar?
Douglas points to Germany when discussing rules that could enable balcony solar in Australian apartment buildings.